Angels' Logan O'Hoppe Believes He Needs More Playing Time

The return of All-Star center fielder Mike Trout is great news for the Los Angeles Angels. 

But it is not-so-great news for catcher Logan O’Hoppe’s playing time.

When Trout was on the injured list throughout May, O’Hoppe was still part of the lineup as the designated hitter while Travis d’Arnaud was catching.

But Trout has now taken over the designated hitter spot full-time as he continues to recover from a left knee contusion. As a result, O’Hoppe has been excluded from the lineup in two of every five games since Trout’s return.

And O’Hoppe’s performance at the plate has simultaneously decreased with his playing time. 

O'Hoppe has averaged .106 in 11 games since Trout’s return on May 30, which is significantly lower than his .247 average when Trout was on the IL.

“I do like having consistent at-bats and being able to go 0-for-4 and know you have an adjustment you can make the next day,” O’Hoppe said to The Orange County Register. “My best adjustments that have locked me in have come after 0-for-4 days. It’s tougher to make that adjustment with a day off in the middle.”

O’Hoppe requested to catch for starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks in Tuesday’s game against the New York Yankees, despite Hendricks working with d'Arnaurd for 11 of 13 games.

The Angels accepted, giving O’Hoppe a fourth start in the last five games. And the extra at-bats paid off as O’Hoppe hit a double to mark his first extra-base hit since May 23.

“I don’t know what the future holds with who I’ll be catching and how much I’m playing. It’s not up to me,” O’Hoppe said. “It’s above my pay grade, but I do like being in a groove.”

Although O’Hoppe wants more playing time, he is willing to sit on the bench if it will benefit the team.

“If having those days off in the middle are going to help us win games and help our guys on the mound, then I’m going to do it.,” O’Hoppe said.

“By no means am I pissed off about it,” O’Hoppe added in regards to his decreased playing time. “Not at all. If we’re winning 1-0 games in New York, then I’m over it.”

But he acknowledged that his limited at-bats adds more pressure to when he gets a chance to hit.

“I’m getting a little more emotional now after each at-bat, and I think that’s subconsciously knowing I may not have another couple at-bats for a day or two,” O’Hoppe said. “I think I put more weight on the at-bats knowing I’m not getting them every day.”

Angels manager Ron Washington denied that the limited at-bats are contributing to O’Hoppe’s slump, but rather the 25-year-old is still learning how to handle being an MLB catcher.

For more MLB news, head over to Angels on SI.